"Car crash doesn’t stop Yannutz from completing the Ironman Triathlon
By Jessica Kirkwood
Staff Writer
UH Hilo Student Newspaper
Every October thousands of athletes, families, friends, spectators and volunteers flock to Kona for one of the most prestigious endurance events in the world: the Ford Ironman triathlon world championships. This year, UH Hilo senior and marine science major, Brian Yannutz, was one of them.
Yannutz, at 21 years old, was the youngest Big Island athlete to hop into the crystal blue waters of Kailua Bay alongside near 1800 other competitors on Saturday October 13, 2009. What’s more, a mere three weeks prior to his attempt at this 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile marathon run, he was hit by a car.
Rewind three weeks to September 22; Yannutz was biking about 25mph along Route 11 near Honomu, 13 miles outside of Hilo, when a vehicle making a left turn on to the highway cut in front of him. In a matter of moments, his bike struck the car, while the momentum of the collision sent him flying over the vehicle. Yannutz says his helmet saved his life “it’s got a big crack in it.” As for the rest of his body, Yannutz experienced severe pain, mainly from a sprained ankle that left him in a cast for one week, along with swelling and fluid build-up in both knees. He didn't even know if he'd be able to compete in the Ironman until his doctor gave him the go-ahead the Monday prior to the race.
Yannutz, who has been running consistently for five years, is naturally drawn to endurance events, and was a recent competitor in both the 2008 Big Island International Marathon and the 2009 Hilo to Volcano Ultra-marathon. He also ran cross country with UH Hilo for 3 years and during his last season received the most dedicated athlete award. “Jaime Guerpo, who coaches the UH Hilo men’s and women’s cross country teams allowed me to run with him. I was never on scholarship, nor did I travel with the team, but I always showed up to practice. He [Guerpo] really cares about every single runner on the team.”
Yannutz chose to study on the Big Island because it was surrounded by water, “I laid my eyes on the ocean for the first time at 14 years old while snorkeling in the Mediterranean Sea. Observing the fish as they swam around me inspired my interest in protecting and preserving the marine environment. Since then I have dedicated my life to learning about the ocean and how I can help prevent its exploitation. I moved to Hawai‘i to study marine science at the UH Hilo in order to see that goal to fruition.” He further claims that choosing to study on the Big Island has been the best decision of his life, “There have been so many opportunities given to me because I chose the Big Island – including the Ironman.”
The first Ironman Yannutz witnessed was back in 2007, “I thought it was so amazing. The energy in Kona was electrifying and seeing the people’s faces as they crossed the finish line along Alii Drive inspired me to do it one day. I thought it would take me 10 years to train for the event, but I qualified to race it only 2 years later.”
Yannutz admits that he loves to road bike most out of the three disciplines because of the freedom and scenic routes, “Biking is the closest thing I can get to flying. It is the most exhilarating feeling. I can’t image my life without a bicycle.” And as far as swimming, he began taking to the freestyle stroke only one year ago, “I wanted to take a marine science course called QUEST (Quantitative Underwater Ecological Surveying Techniques), and the class required that I swim 400 yards in less than 10 minutes. This was a big struggle for me, and so I went to the Kawamoto Pool every night to practice my swim and get under that cut-off time.”
Although family members traveled from his hometown of Berthoud, Colo. to support and bask in his accomplishments on race day, Yannutz says his biggest support leading into the Ironman has been his girlfriend and fellow UHH student, Brittany Dolan, “Since the first weekend I arrived back in Hilo after summer break, Brittany and I went to Kona to camp every weekend so that I could train on the Ironman course. Some of the days I would be training for 8 hrs and Brittany would wait and have water and Gatorade ready for me when I came back. And when I was swimming in Kona she would always watch me to make sure I was safe.”Prior to his crash, Yannutz had hoped to complete the Ironman in under 13 hours, but after the accident, his new goal was to get to the finish line before the clock struck midnight, giving him the finisher's medal he had wanted ever since he was a spectator back in 2007.
As he ran in the dark along the infamous Ali’i drive, crowds upon crowds of people cheering him on, the clock read just under 16 hrs, one hour before the cut-off time. Running through the finishing chute, he was amazed to be welcomed by the top finishing professional female and three-time winner, Chrissie Wellington, as she handed him his much-deserved finisher’s medal. But perhaps more honored, was his being greeted by his number one supporter, Brittany.
Yannutz, who humbly admits that he doesn’t see himself as a ‘super great athlete,’ says that training for the Ironman has been, above all, more of a spiritual journey for him. He claims that the sport has taken him further past his limits of physical strength and speed, and allowed him to meet and confront his own will-power. “Now that I have accomplished the Ironman, it has really given me the confidence to pursue new goals in my life.”
Yannutz dreams of eventually living in Australia and studying sharks, and expects many more triathlons in his future, "If I can finish an Ironman at the age of 21 after a car accident, I have a lot of room to grow."
Every person who completes the ironman has a story, and those who know Yannutz, are proud to be apart of his.
